Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/180)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

It is replied:

It is known that the will for this event is not the will for this event. If they deem this possible, they must also deem it possible for all beings to exist through a single beginningless [pre-eternal] (1) will, as is held by those speculative theologians who adopt this position, such as Ibn Kullāb and his followers. Their position would then be invalidated.

That being so, if a particular beginningless effect were posited, it would be [willed] (2) through a beginningless, pre-eternal, and abiding will, while no act of will (3) concerning any originated thing would coexist with it, because (4) an originated thing cannot be beginningless. As for the genus of acts of will and events, no particular member of it is beginningless. It may, however, be said that the perpetual genus (5) coexists with that will. Yet this is impossible for several reasons, some of which have already been mentioned.

[The Position of the Asharis, the Karrāmiyya, and Those Who Agree with Them]

If it is said:

The beginningless, pre-eternal will [does not] (6) entail that its object must coexist with it. It therefore does not follow that the object willed must be beginningless and pre-eternal. Nor can it be originated, because its coming into being after not having existed requires a newly occurring cause, as previously explained.

And if (7) it is permissible to say [that] (8) events occur through the beginningless, pre-eternal will without any new factor arising—as is maintained by many of the speculative theologians—

(1) “Pre-eternal” is added in M. (2) “Willed” is absent only from N. (3) “Act of will” is absent from A and B. (4) N and M read: “that.” (5) A reads: “subsisting”; B reads: “beginningless.” (6) “Does not” is absent from N and M. (7) N reads: “Then if.” (8) “That” is absent from N and M.

قِيلَ: مَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ إِرَادَةَ هَذَا الْحَادِثِ لَيْسَتْ إِرَادَةَ هَذَا الْحَادِثِ، وَإِنْ جَوَّزُوا هَذَا لَزِمَهُمْ أَنْ يُجَوِّزُوا وُجُودَ جَمِيعِ الْكَائِنَاتِ بِإِرَادَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ قَدِيمَةٍ [أَزَلِيَّةٍ] (١) ، كَمَا يَقُولُهُ مَنْ يَقُولُهُ مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ كَابْنِ كُلَّابٍ وَأَتْبَاعِهِ، وَحِينَئِذٍ يَبْطُلُ قَوْلُهُمْ. وَإِذَا كَانَ كَذَلِكَ، فَالْمَعْلُولُ الْمُعَيَّنُ الْقَدِيمُ إِذَا قُدِّرَ كَانَ [مُرَادًا] (٢) بِإِرَادَةٍ قَدِيمَةٍ أَزَلِيَّةٍ بَاقِيَةٍ، وَلَمْ يَقْتَرِنْ بِهَا إِرَادَةُ (٣) شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْحَوَادِثِ ; لِأَنَّ (٤) الْحَادِثَ لَا يَكُونُ قَدِيمًا، وَنَوْعُ الْإِرَادَاتِ وَالْحَوَادِثِ لَيْسَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ بِعَيْنِهِ قَدِيمٌ لَكِنْ قَدْ يُقَالُ: يَقْتَرِنُ بِهَا النَّوْعُ الدَّائِمُ (٥) لَكِنَّ هَذَا مُمْتَنِعٌ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ قَدْ ذُكِرَ بَعْضُهَا. [قول الأشعرية والكرامية وموافقيهم] وَإِنْ قِيلَ: إِنَّ الْإِرَادَةَ الْقَدِيمَةَ الْأَزَلِيَّةَ [لَيْسَتْ] (٦) مُسْتَلْزِمَةً لِمُقَارَنَةِ مُرَادِهَا لَهَا لَمْ يَجِبْ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمُرَادُ قَدِيمًا أَزَلِيًّا، وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ حَادِثًا ; لِأَنَّ حُدُوثَهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَفْتَقِرُ إِلَى سَبَبٍ حَادِثٍ كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ. وَإِنْ (٧) جَازَ أَنْ يُقَالَ: [إِنَّ] (٨) الْحَوَادِثَ تَحْدُثُ بِالْإِرَادَةِ الْقَدِيمَةِ الْأَزَلِيَّةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ تَجَدُّدِ أَمْرٍ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ - كَمَا يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكَلَامِ

(١) أَزَلِيَّةٍ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (م) . (٢) مُرَادًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (٣) إِرَادَةُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) ن، م: أَنَّ. (٥) أ: الْقَائِمُ، ب: الْقَدِيمُ. (٦) لَيْسَتْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) ن: فَإِنْ. (٨) إِنَّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .